The internet of things (IoT) in normal language

There is a lot of talk about The internet of things (IoT) but what it is really? When looking up the meaning on the internet it quickly turns into a tsunami of technical terminology which does not make it any more clear. So, lets just take it slow and step by step explain what it is, what it does and why its such a big deal.

First thing is the Internet; well, you know it right. Its a global computer network that we use to communicate with each other and where we find information.

The second thing is Things: again, you cannot believe how simple it is. Its items, objects… well just stuff. Basically it is everything you can touch.

So, when there are electronics, computer programs or sensors build into our stuff, they can start talking to each other. And when stuff can talk, we call it “the Internet of Things”. So some examples; a thermostat in your home that you can access via your smartphone, a watch that you wear during exercising, a security monitor that you can access via your phone and wireless lights in your home which also allow you to set your personal color scheme.

And why is it such a big thing? Well, there are many interesting applications of it regarding security, health monitoring, energy saving or just down right handy in your daily life. But the real interest for many organisations lies in the information that is created by our stuff. Yes, big data. And as a marketer we love to know what, when, where and how our customer is using our products and experiencing our brand.